Cultural Discontinuity and Arab Management Thought

Organizational Change Strategies in the Arab Region: A Review of Critical Factors

“…Thus, nepotism may be openly allowed in the Arab world in order to fulfi ll the individual's responsibilities toward their relatives and extended family. Moreover, nepotism is often apparent in the recruitment of upper level managers, though qualifi cations are stressed in the selection of middle managers and lower-level employees (see Ali 1995;Hutchings and Weir 2006). Further, managerial issues associated with tribalism have been identifi ed in Arab societies especially in Arabian Gulf.…”

“…Ali (1995) indicates that the characteristics of authoritarian tribalism embrace an open door policy, hierarchical structures and centralization of decisionmaking. Regulations and rules are dependent on the person who holds a power position within the hierarchical structure.…”

“…Tribalism is often sanctioned into present political, economic and management systems in the Arab region (see Ali 1990Ali , 1995Mellahi 2003;Lewis 2006). The Arab culture is traditional, family oriented, male dominated and conservative in risk taking (Bakhtari 1995).…”

Success through Trust, Control, and Learning? Contrasting the Drivers of SME Performance between Different Modes of Foreign Market Entry

“…Not only has Islam remained an important source from which the cultural fabric of Arab society gains its patterns [69,70], but also research has repeatedly shown that the Qu'ran, the central religious text of Islam, provides the moral framework that guides social exchanges. Overarching principles of Islam are the achievement of "well-being" (falah) for all men and women, as well as the concepts of unity (itihad), justice (adalah), and trusteeship (khilafah) [69,71,72].…”

“…Not only has Islam remained an important source from which the cultural fabric of Arab society gains its patterns [69,70], but also research has repeatedly shown that the Qu'ran, the central religious text of Islam, provides the moral framework that guides social exchanges. Overarching principles of Islam are the achievement of "well-being" (falah) for all men and women, as well as the concepts of unity (itihad), justice (adalah), and trusteeship (khilafah) [69,71,72]. These have a significant bearing on ethical behavior in managerial and inter-organizational relations [73,74], which are, in theory, heavily based upon participation, consultation, diffusion of knowledge, creativity, and equal promotion of opportunities.…”